Aikido Club: Welfare Officer

Though this has been my first year at aikido club it has consistently been one of my favorite activities throughout the year. I believe it is not just the fun of aikido itself, but also the wonderful people who attend the club which make it such a safe, supportive, and fun space.

As welfare officer I'd be committed to supporting each and every member of aikido club, and always being there to talk to.

I think that students' mental health is extremely important, so being someone who can be there for others if they need to talk about anything would be an amazing opportunity. I am currently running student focus groups for Y1 and Y2 undergrads, so have experience in organising meetings and making sure that everyone's opinion is heard and understood. I think that every student should have someone to talk to no matter what, since sometimes all we need is someone to listen. Lastly, I believe that everyone should feel accepted and welcomed into any club or society, and it is important to make sure that no one feels isolated or left out.

Although I have only joined the club and started Aikido in September, I have been deeply attached to it ever since. I am really grateful to meet all the lovely people within the society and train with them every week. I would like to nominate myself as a welfare officer for next year in order to contribute more to the society! If I become the welfare officer, I would like to continue the current tea time sessions and possibly make it a face to face meet up with the society members. People can bring some food /cakes they like and we can discuss anything that is happening in their lives. I believe that talking about worries or just generally what is going on is good for one’s mental health and making the a session such a casual meet up will be a very fun social event too!